Electronic notes have existed for several years. The APPLE NEWTON, manufactured by APPLE INC. was one of the earlier mobile devices to run a note application. Notes were presented end to end, based on user-inputted content through a stylus. Since then, note applications have progressed into other platforms. Currently, MICROSOFT OUTLOOK offers a Note application in which users can create notes, copy content into and out of notes, and color-code the notes. The PALM OS, manufactured by PALMONE INC. offers similar functionality for handheld devices. In those devices, users may set alarms for notes, so that notes provide timed notification functionality.
Note functionality has also been incorporated into other applications. Many core applications of personal information management systems carry note functionality. For example, the Contacts feature of OUTLOOK enables users to enter information about users as if the contact record were a note. The PALM OS enables users to call a note as an attachment to other records.
Electronic note programs are convenient for users to record information quickly. Many such programs do not require users to save content entered into the note, as the content is saved automatically. But most current note applications are cumbersome to use. In general, the current applications require users to open and close individual notes, and they list little information other than metadata about the note to enable the user to select a note to open. In order to locate a particular note, the user must scan through note titles, or additional metadata about the notes, and perhaps open and close several notes until they find the note sought. A search feature provided with some note applications is useful when search terms are readily known, but the search feature does not facilitate scrolling or browsing notes.
In applications such as OUTLOOK NOTES, the user can assign categories for notes. But the process of category assignment is always entirely manual, and requires right-clicking on a category, choosing the Categories command, checkmarking the category to be assigned and then clicking “OK”: When notes carry very limited information (such as a single password), this process becomes very inefficient.).